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THE 8ISTEKS.
[ This Is the story they told to me ,
t 8tUB , Me came In past sboalnndbar :
, to the CUBt where a double star
f
.flashes . over the Bomber sea.
iat Is a waste of stone and sand ,
That Is a rock where The Sletcrs stand.
And over the sea their message flies
In letters of light andihus It runs :
"ibis Is a bar that the sailor shuns ;
Keep to the right , whqre safety lies. ,
JOeath lurks here in the shoals and sand ,
( This Is the rock where The Sisters stand. "
| 0rer the water the wind swept down
One stormy night from the flying clouds ,
I And wrapped the billows In m.sty shrouds ,
While all the sky was one daik fniwri ,
And no lights gleamed by sea or land ,
Save two bright stare where The Sisters stand.
Shattered and drenched'by the warring gales ,
A ship came drifting across the sea ,
With a scarlet ensign floating free
Over her , torn and tattered sails ,
And sank a wreck upon the sand
Beside the reef where The Sisters stand.
And when the morning , all cold and gray ,
Came creeping over that lonely strand ,
'Mid the shells and seaweed , hand in hand ,
Two fair-haired ma dens silent lay.
A sea dirge shook the moaning sands ,
At the foot of the rock whqre the lighthouse
stands.
A ROMANCE UF THE STOKES.
"I tell you , " snortedMr. Ramsbury
Browne , "waxing purple with rage ,
"that I absolutely forbid you to hold
any communication whatever with
Capt. Cannon , and if he comes here
again I shall turn him out of the
Ihousel"
| "Well , you need not be so violent ,
( protested pretty Mrs. Browne , as she
'subsided in a becoming attitude on
| the drawing-room sofa , and prepared
for a flood of tears. "Only if you in-
isist upon my never seeing any man
! ; but yourself , , and , bully me in this' absurd -
[ surd fashion , I shall go mad , or run
jaway , or something , " and Mrs. Browne ,
'stifled her sobs in the folds of a deli
cately embroidered handkerchief ,
while 'her lord and master marched
angrily up and down the room , half
ashamed of his own suspicions , but de
termined not to betray any outward
sign of repentance.
Mr. Ramsbury Browne was a rich
city merchant , who had committed the
not uncommon mista'ke of marrying a
penniless and exceedingly pretty girl ,
some thirty years younger chan him
self , who , without giving her husband
any' definite cause for jealousy , con
trived to make his life exceedingly un
comfortable. The reason was not far
to seek. Before 'she came to London
she had never seen anything ; there
fore balls , race-meetings , polo-match
es such like frivol-
, river-parties-and -
ties had for her the charm which nov
elty alone- could give them. Like
most pretty women , she was fond of
admiration ; men ran after her , think
ing , not without reason , that she
could not possibly be absorbed in her
'dull and uninteresting husband , and
'it must be confessed that Mrs. Browne
did not altogether discourage their
.attentions. Hence it came to pass
ithat Browne's jealousy was aroused ,
and that he selected his wife's friend-
isbip with the aforesaid.Capt. Cannon
as the excuse for an extremely un
pleasant , .matrimonial dispute. The
captain himself was a good-looking
hussar , a loafing , ne'er-do-well man-
about-town ; or a gallant , chivalrous ,
and fascinating officer it all depended
upon the point of view from which
his character was regarded. Needless
to say that Browne's opinion of him
was not.the .more favorable one , and
when his wife showed , a somewhat
marked preference for the captain's
society , exchanged little notes- with
him about books , music , and such-like
jinnoccnt topics , and was generally fol-
jlowed by him wherever she went ,
( Browne determined that the intimacy
'should ' come to an end.
I' "You're not to see that man again , "
continued he , blustering somewhat un
necessarily , in case his determination
should falter. "Do you hear me , Mrs.
Browne ? "
"Oh , yes , I hear you , " she sobbed.
"I won't see him any more ; and per
haps when you've bullied me into my
grave you will be sorry. "
So Mr. Browne marched off to the
city , filled with the proud conscious
ness that he had gained a great moral
iyictory and had made his wife exceed
ingly miserable ,
i For the next week or two the meek-
of that young lady was admirable ,
and her obedience to her husband's
will positively touching. The demon
of jealousy had , however , taken entire
possession of the bosom of Mr. Rams
bury Browne , and his wife's somewhat
unlooked-for submissiveness only
served to increase instead of allaying
his suspicions. He thought that she
was merely acting a part , and he
watched her with redoubled vigilance.
In business matters Browne was a
strictly honorable man , and he had a
very good name in the city for honest
and straightforward dealing. Never
theless he did not think it inconsistent
with his dignity to descend to all sorts
of subterfuges in order to catch his
wife tripping. He sometimes came
'home ' at unusually early hours. He
loccasionally announced that he would
dine out , and then appeared , with some
Hame excuse , at the family meal ; and
l though he did not go so far as to open
Jhis wife's letters he carefully examined
'every epistle which came to the house ,
in the hope of recognizing the handwriting -
writing of the hated captain. ' This
.sort of thing went on for a week or
two , and nothing came of it. Browne
was beginning to think that , after all ,
he was mistaken , when he made a
discovery which revived all his old
suspicions. He had come home early ;
'his wife was out shopping , and in an
aimless sort of manner he walked into
her boudoir and sat down at her writ
ing-table. Browne had rummaged in
all the drawers before , and knew the
position of every paper. Nothing was
changed , and. as a last resource , he
glanced into the waste-paper basket.
There were a few bills and circulars , a
torn-up letter and a telegram. It , too ,
was torn into half a dozen or more
pieces , and Browne spent several min
utes in putting them together. Two
or" three fragments were altogether
missing , but ne managed to make out
quite enough for his purpose. The
telegram had been sent out and re-
iceived that very day , and the follow-
j ing startling sentence was clearly leg-
iible :
"Meet me at the Stores to-morrow
{ afternoon. . Browne is a "
aA. . > j.- , i
* 'A * M.
, . * , ,1
"
* V
"The devil ! " ejaculated the rictim
bf jealousy ; thatis what she has been
doing of lute , is it ? Shopping for
sooth ! And that infernal captain calls
mo bad names , I've no sort of doubt.
I'll bo even with you yet , Mrs. B. ! "
And after searching in vain for the
missing fragments of the fatal paper ,
Browne abandoned himself to the tor
ments of the green-eyed monster , and
to the pleasurable anticipation of de
tecting-his wife's faithlessness On the
morrow.
The next day he started off to the
city as usual , having first asked his
wife , with a , great assumption of care
lessness , how she meant to occupy her *
self until the evening.
"I am going out this afternoon , "
she answered ; "I may mee.t mamma ;
but I don't know. "
"Meet mamma , indeed ! " said her
outraged husband to himself. "Oh ,
you deceitful little wretch ! " And he
departed filled with schemes of ven
geance.
The thought of exposing his guilty
spouse so occupied Browne's mind that
he found it impossible to concentrate
his attention on business , and , after
spending an hour or two in the city , he
resorted to his club by way of passing
the time until he should go to the
Stores. There he met several friends ,
and ordered an elaborate luncheon.
Jealousy had somewhat affected his
appetite , so ho endeayored to drown
his sorrows in a bottle of claret and
several glasses of potent brown sherry.
In fact , DV the time he arrived at the
trysting place he felt himself perfectly
equal to confronting half a dozen Lo
tharios , and inflicting condign .chas
tisement upon them , unaided by the
powers .of the law. .Browne , oddly
enough , had never been to the Store's
before. Being himself a tradesman ,
he professed to look upon such estab
lishments with hatred and contempt ,
though in practice he found it both
convenient and economical to allow his
wife to deal there , and even went s
far as to keep a deposit account fo
her. When , therefore , he entered the
door of the large block of buildings in
Victoria street , and noticed what
crowds , of people were passing in and
cut , and what a number of different
departments he would have to search ,
his heart failed him a little , for he
plainly saw that he might spend the
day there -without ever having the
aood ; fortune to hit upon the guilty
couple. So he loitered about near the
entrance in some perplexity.
As he stared anxiously about him ,
Mr. Browne could not help wondering
if all the people he saw had come to
shop. There were , it was true , a cer
tain number of individuals who sat at
a table in the middle of the room ,
writing out orders from .the list , and
Dazing in agony at the ceiling as they
mdeavored to solve intricate promb-
[ ems in mental arithmetic , but they
seemed for the most part to be serv
ants , lodging-house keepers , and such
ike. Nearly all the best-looking people
ple strolled about in a somewhat aim-
ess fashion , occasionally looking at
the goods exposed for sale , but more
of ten at , each other , and showing plain-
y enough that whatever their business
might be , it was entirely unconnected
with the purchase of tea and sugar.
There were plenty of well-dressed
foung ladies , officers' wives , thought
3rownc , and a goodly sprinkling of
'ast young fellows , who stared af the
adies , and sometimes addressed them
apparently on terms of easy familiar-
ty. All this puzzled the worthy mer
chant not a little , and he began to wish
that he looked more like a military
man , for he was getting bored , and
longed to find some one to speak to.
"Would yea be so kind as tq direct
me to the china department ? " sud
denly said a feminine voice in his ear.
Brown started somewhat , andlooked
round. A pretty little fair-haired
woman was standing at his elbow. She
was decidedly an attractive person ;
ler age might have been 25 , she was
exceedingly well got up , and he no
ticed that she was possessed of a very
neat figure and very small feet.
Browne had been rather a gay dog in
his time , which was certainly one'
reas.on why he looked so sharp after
lis wife , and the wine he had drank
at lunch made him feel disposed for an
adventure. So , after taking a good
ook at his fair frend he , he answered
n his most gallant manner :
"I am afraid I can't , madam , but I
shall be delighted to find out for you. "
"Oh , thanks ! It's so good of you , '
she replied sweetly. "My husband
sent me here to do a lot of shopping ,
and it is such a confusing place I am
constantly losing my way. "
" [ assure you I am charmed to be of
the slightest service. "
And Mr. Browne inquired the way
of an attendant , and started off with
lis interesting charge. She asked to
see some dinner-services and several
other articles , and engaged Browne in
a discussion of the various shapes ,
sizes and colors of the samples exhib-
ted for her inspection. She was re
ally charming , he thought the nicest
woman he had met for years.
After much deliberation she selected
a somewhat expensive set , a gorgeous
arrangement in blue , red , and gold.
"Ticket number , madam ? " asked
he shopman.
"Let me see , 9 , 0 , 7 , 3 no , 7 , 0 , 9 , 3
and then there's another. How
silly I am , " she continued ; , looking up
at Browne with a pretty air of perplex-
ty ; "that horrid number ! I never can
remember it. "
"Never mind , " said Browne , gal-
antly , "use mine , " and he gave it to
ie shopman.
"Cash or deposit , sir ? "
"Deposit , " said Browne , mechanic
ally."But
"But I could not think of allowing
you to pay , " protested the lady , pro
ducing her purse.
"Not at all , not at all ; we will settle
ater. No doubt you will be getting
other things. "
"Thanks , it is so good of you : Will
vou have the things sent to the door ,
please ? I will take them away later. "
"Certainly , madam ; " and she be-
xjok herself to another department ,
followed , of course , by Browne.
"Do you know , " she at length'said ,
"my husband has been ordered to
[ ndia , and I am to be left all alone in
London , where I scarcely know a soul.
Isn't it terrible ? "
'
1 Browne's very heart melted beneath
; an appealing glance from her lovely
'blue eyes.
"Dear me ! how sad ! I can't under
stand his leaving you. I'd sooner re
sign my commission ! " She looked
imodestly down.
| "I am afraid you men are all flatter
ers. How dreadfully fast you must
think me for allowing you to speak to
me like this. But I felt so lonely ! "
Mr. Browne had already forgotten
that she herself was the first to open
the conversation.
"Madam , I could never have an un
worthy thought of you ! " he fervently
ejaculated.
They were then examining some sunshades -
shades in the drapery department , and
: the lady made several more purchases
: on the same terms as before. Pres
ently Mr. Browne proposed an adjourn
ment to the tea-room , and his fair
friend agreed , after some little per
suasion. Browne began to feel as if
! be did not care whether his wife was
iflirting with Capt. Cannon or not.
He would show her that if she were
.incapable of appreciating his fascina
tions , there were other women who
tpossessed more discernment.
"What can I get you ? " .he inquired
as they enteredthe , refreshment room.
"A of . "
cup tea , please.
"Sure you won't have a glass of
Cherry , or something of that sort ?
You look quite tired. "
"They are not allowed to sell wine
here. Very stupid , isn't it ? "
And to do the fair unknown justice.she
seemed to regard the absence of more
potent fluids as a very real deprivation.
So Browne ordered the tea , and some
strawberries and cream , and , selecting
a corner table , was soon engaged in a
most interesting conversation.
"Would you think me unpardonably
rude if I asked your name ? " he pres
ently said. "Mine is Ramsbury
Browne , " he added , producing a
card.
"Really ? Do you know , I am cer
tain I have met you before'somewhere.
AtLadyTeddington's ? No ? Then it
must have been at Lord Cramleigh's or
Sir. Crcecus NupkinTs. I am Mrs.Her-
rington ; my husband is in the 33d
lancers , you know. "
"I remember'you perfectly , " cried
Browne , enraptured. "Charmed to
renew your acquaintance in so delight
ful a manner ! "
Browne had not the fain test recollec
tion of Mrs. Herrington , but he did
not like to own that he was not on
visiting terms with such exalted per
sonages as Lady Teddington , Lord
Cramleigh , and Sir. Croesus Nupkin.
They grew more and more confiden
tial , and the afternoon slipped away
imperceptibly at all events to Mr.
Browne.
"Might I ask to be allowed to call ? "
he inquired , emboldened by the lady's
affability.
"Well , I suppose it's not at all
proper , " she answered , diffidently ,
"but I shall be .very glad to see you
any Friday at No. 150 Curzon street. "
"You may depend upon me , " said
Browne , as he noted down the ad
dress.
At this moment he happened to
raise his eyes , which he had hitherto
kept pretty constantly fixed on his
fair companion , and the sight which
met them caused a cold shudder to
run down his back. At the next table
but.one set no less a personage than
Mrs. Grewser , his mother-in-law , the
only person of whom he really stood
in fear , arftl beside her was his wife.
The elder lady's eyes were fixed upon
him with a stony glare of horror , while
a flush of indignation lent additional
beauty to the face of Mrs. Browne.
They had evidently been .there for
some minutes , and must certainly have
noticed him writing down Mrs. Her-
rington's address. Browne vainly
tried to persuade himself that he had
done nothing to be ashamed of he
writhed in his chair , and devotedly
wished that the floor would , open and
swallow him up.
"What is the matter ? " asked Mrs.
Herringlon , sympathetically , "you
look quite pale and agitated ! "
"Nothing , " stammered the unfor
tunate man ; "some people I did not
expect to see. Rather sudden , you
know ; it startled me a little. "
"Pray go and speak to them. Don't
let me detain you. "
"Well , if you will excuse me one
moment. "
"By all means. "
And Browne rose in a feeble manner ,
and advanced towards his outraged
relatives.
"How do you do , Mrs. Grewser ? "
said he , with the courage of desper
ation. "This is quite an unexpected
pleasure , "
"So I should think , indeed , " rejoin
ed that lady in a tragic whisper , ig
noring his proffered hand , "and may
I ask who that creature is ? "
"Oh , certainly. Mrs. Herrington ,
wife of a man in the 33rd lancers.
Met ner at Sir Croesus Nupkin's. "
" 1 don't believe "
you , Ramsbury ,
retorted his mother-in-law. "Intro
duce her to me at once. "
Browne turned to obey , but Mrs.
Herrington had mysteriously vanish
ed.
"Dear me , how odd ! But she lives
at No. 150 Curzon street. We can go
and call on her. "
"No. 150 Curzon street ! " almost
shrieked Mrs. Grewser. "There is no
such number ! That woman is no
more the wife of a man in the lancers
than I am ; and this , sir , is the way
you deceive your poor wife , whom you
worry to death with your abominable
suspicions. I came up to town this
morning to protect her from your in
sults , and this is what I find ! " Lon
don Truth.
Peanut flour.
Peanut flour may yet become an
important product of the Southern
States. It is reported that Virginia
farmers raised 1,200,000 bushels of
these nuts the present year. Tenne-
see is down for 250,000 bushels , and
North Carolina for 135,000 bushels.
The Savannah ( Ga. ) Telegram says the
Virginians are beginning to manufac
ture the peanut into flour for pastry
and biscuits. The same authority
*
says that if Africa sent a curse to
America in slavery , she certainly con
f erred a blessing in the universally pop
ular peanut.
USEFUL AND PLEASANT.
The tomalois a Mexican tid-bit made
of corn meal , red pepper and meat.
It is only seventy years since news
papers wore first printed by s.team.
' 'An Hungarian woman in Wilkes
barre , Pa. , wears No. 11 shoes , thir
teen inches long.
The rate of mortality in the United
States navy is much less than among
the dwellers upon the land.
The red scale is reported to be rav
aging the orange orchards at Sierra
Madre village , Los Angeles county
: Cal ,
1 The highest-priced * parlor clock , in
: America is owned bya Wall stree
anan. It was made in New York , and
[ cost $31,000.
The Druggist estimates that the an
, nual production of canned goods in
'the ' United States equals 500,000,000
jpackages , or ten for every person.
' Something new induncheon dishes is
plattered eggs , whoso golden yolks
Jare set in a red-brown semi-fluid of tomato
mate puree and shredded anchovies.
I The Great Eastern , now on her way
jto New Orleans , measures 18,915 ton
gross , has an aggregate horse-power
.of thirteen thousand , and is 579 feet
long.A .
A boulevard one hundred feet wide
iis being made upon the sides of the
JLos Angeles river , which runs through
( the city in Southern Califoraia of that
{ name.
Opium is smuggled ashore at Saa
Francisco from vessels in the bay by
the use of bladder floats. They are
thrown overboard at night and picket
up by row-boats.
The authorities say the highest
tides that have been known for many
years may bo expected during the
month of December along the Santa
Barbara coast , in California.
The two young men who went al
the way from Youngstown , O. , to New
Orleans to buy an exclusive beer privi
lege at the exposition for § 2,000 were
told they could have , it for $100,000.
The mint-raisers of Wayne county ,
New York , are now selling the oil they
have distilled for the past four or five
seasons. The price is now extraordi
narily high , being $2.75 per pound.
A bashful youth confronted with the
contingency of having to "speak to
the old man about her , " was heard to
remark : "Aftera feller pops , then
pop's the feller that worries him
most. "
The new building of the Young
Women's Christian association , of
Boston , costing $150 000 , containing
34 public rooms and 75 sleeping-rooms ,
and accommodating 101 persons , was
dedicated recently.
The Philadelphia free baths were
used by 660,448 persons last season , a
number equal to about three-quarters
of the entire population. The city
has recently appropriated $8,000 to
build more bath-houses.
A once popular and pretty , young
lady of Newark has just completed a
crazy quilt composed entirely of silk
neckties contributed by gentlemen
friends. It is perhaps safe to say
they are no longer her friends.
"Do you understand how to fix up
my hair ? " asked a lady of a newly-
hired colored servant. "Yes , mum , I
kin fix it up in ten minutes. " "You will
never do for me. What would I do
with myself all the rest of the day ? "
At the recent woman's congress one
lady remarked that "it's a nice thing
for "a man to keep his mouth fit to be
kissed. " What has thai ; to do with
woman suffrage ? Is this a forecast of
campaign tactics in the halcyon fu
ture ?
* Sung Fong Low's new Chinese res
taurant in San Francisco will almost
rival the institution managed by the
renowned Stokes in New York. The
decorations are gaudy in the extreme ,
and will cost , with the furniture no less
that $20,000.
The Springfield armory shops will
turn out more rifles this year than ever
before since the war , the average be
ing 140 a day. Last year's product was
35,000 , and the product of the year
before was 32,000. The amount of
work depends on the amount of the
appropriation , which is about $400,000
a year.
"Algernon , love , the doctor said that
I absolutely require a little changp.
I was forced to tell him you was al
ways just run out of it , whenever I a
asked you for any , and that it was
weeks since you had given me a cent.
'Ihen he said I must need a great deal
of change. Ain't you ashamed , now ? "
But he wasn't. Not one bit.
"So the Arabian goes to lodges and
comes home , just as you do " said Mrs.
Mannerly to her husband , who was of
a convivial turn of mind. "I doa't t
know he stammered. "But I know
they do , for I read in a paper that
when an Arabian enters his house he
removes his shoes and keeps on his
hat. That's what you do when you
come home late from the lodge. "
When Mrs. Olco , the boarding-mis
tress , was told that the inspector of
provisions had seized 468 pounds of
veal , 92 pounds of poultry , 52 pounds
of bear meat , 37 lambs , 6 barrels of
peas , and 200 boxes of herring , she
remarked : "Pretty good appetite ;
but nothing to some of my boarders.
You'd ought to see them when they're
good and hungry. "
Large buildings have been completed
on the grounds of Girard college , Phil
adelphia , for providing ample facili
ties for mechanical education. It is
not intended to teach boys trades , butte
to educate them in the use of tools , so
that on leaving college they can se
cure situations in any mechanical es
tablishment. This system of instruc
tion has been in operation for the lasf
two years , but it will now be extended
A street preacher in Now York says
his mission is to preach the gospel of
bread , and boasts that he has this year
already distributed to the promiscu
ous crowds on the streets of a large
xsity 59 barrels of flour , 650 pounds of
coffee , 960 loaves ofbread , 12 chests of
tea , 9,900 pounds of meal , 5,000 pounds
of hominv , 425 pounds of potatoes ,
30,000 pounds of beans , and 25,000
pounds of fresh fish.
AN AGREEABLE DECISION.
Excitement Over an Attempt to Defeat Jus
tice In Honehead County.
The people of Horsehoad county are
very much exercised over a recent at
tempt to defeat justice in that part of
the country. A young fellow named
Spareribs was arrested for stealing a
pair of homo-knit socks , and was ar
raigned before Justice Swash , a jurist
in whom the community imposes great
faith. The blacksmith shop , whore
'the court usually meets , was crowded
with mules on the day sot for the
; trial ; so , , in order that the spanking
lhand of justice might not bo kept from
, its work , Judge Swash proposed that
itho trial should take place in an ad-
ijoining lot. The judge took his scat
on the fence and Spareribs climbed up
: on a stump.
; "Prisoner at the bar "
. "Prisoner on the stump , your hon
or , " suggested the lawyer.
"Thats a fact. Prisoner on the
stump , come up to the rack and
/plead. / "
The prisoner "chawed" his tobac-
.co , but remained silent.
"Didn't you hear me , sir ? "
The prisoner continued , to "chair. "
| "Look here , prisoner on the stump ,
if you don't pay attention to me ,
blamed if I dent call the dogs and set
'em on you. Are vou guilty or not
guilty ? "
"I stole the socks , jcdge , if that's
what you're drivin' at. "
"That's what we are drivin' at , an'
that's what we want to find out , but
you are such a liar , prisoner on the
stump , that I don't know whuther or
not to believe you. Well , I never saw
a man what couldn't tell the truth some
times , and I believe I'll take your
word for it. "
I "Wall , jedge , to tell the truth , I
didn't steal'em. "
"Prisoner on the stump , now I know
you did. The witness says that imme
diately after you went through the
yard , the socks was missing oft * the
.line. "
"Wall , jedge , you passed along thar
about the same time , an' gentlemen of
the jury , " continued the prisoner , "I
move that we sarch the squire. "
"I'm in for that , " said one of the
jurymen , "for , although I know the
judge to be honest in a community
whe're everything is too heavy to lift ,
'but no longer than yesterday I heard
him say that he would like to have a
pair of old-fashioned , home-knit socks.
Suppose we sarch him , fellers ? "
The judge leaped from the fence
and attempted to run away , but a fleet-
footed man who for years had been in
the habit of running from the grand
jury caught him. The socks were
found in his coat-tail pocket.
"Ididn'tsteal 'em , " he declared when
he had been brought back to the lot
and arraigned against the fence.
"Spareribs put 'em in my pocket. "
f'Then what made you run ? " asked
Spareribs.
"Because I didn't know that I had
the socks till you fellers began to talk
about sarchin' me , then , feelin' 'round
I found 'em. I knowed then that I
didn't have no time to lose. "
"I'll be the jedge , " said Spareribs ,
seating himself on the fence. "Put the
thief on the stump , Mr. Constable.
I'll show you how I can administer
justice. "
"Boys , " said the judge , when he
had been lifted up and jammed down
on the stump , "I did steal them socks ,
but I didn't mean to. They was
hangin' so low that I couldn't help it.
Now , let me make a motion. "
"You made one just now and come
mighty nighgittin' away , " said Spare-
ribs.
ribs."Hold
"Hold on , Sparey , let me talk"said
the justice. "I move that we fling the
thing outen court so fur as it relates to
uf us ; that we fine the owner of the
socks ten dollars for hangrin' 'em so low
that good citizens be tempted , airter
which we'll all go to my house and
get a snort of fust-class brandy. What
ao you say ? " The motion was unan
imously carried. Several days after
wards , the circuit judge , hearing of
the affair , attempted to set aside the
verdict , hence the excitement con
cerning the attempt to defeat justice.
Arkansaw Traveler.
Slaughtering Wild Horses.
Up in northeastern Wyoming and in
northwestern Nebraska many bands
of wild horses still roam as fearless
and as fleet as in the days when the
country was an unexplored wilderness ,
terra incognito to the white man and
inhabited only by the Sioux , the Black-
feet and the Crow Indians. Keen to
scent the approach of foes , fleet as the
antelope that may be often seen brows
ing in security at their side , and free
as the winds that sweep their prairie
borne , they have successfully eluded
the pursuit of cow-bors and escaped
the destruction the white man's rifle
has meted out to the buffalo and the
Ejame of the west.
One would naturally think that no
animals that roam the plains would be
less inimical to the industries of the
region than the fugitive bands of wild
hoises , and it will surprise many to
learn that parties have been organized
in 'this city for the express purpose of
killing the wild stallions.
Year by y ar horses are lostfrom the
bands in the territory. Some of them
are found ; but when mares escape they
are iost beyond reclaim. . When wan
dering over the plains they descry a
band of horses grazing in some distant is
valley , or outlined from the summit of
some"hill. . They approach the band
trom equine curiosity , and from that
day they belong to no man. The wild
stallions are the guardians of the
Dands. Always on sentinel duty , they
rive the alarm when any fee of their
liberty approaches ; in a moment the
stragglers are rounded in , a fle t-fopt- it
ed stallion leads the van , and with
others at the flanks and at the rear ,
away they go at a thundering charge.
Be the cowboy , mounted ever so well ,
no horse bearing a burden can over >
take the riderless ones , and so it has
come about that the herds of wild
lorscs have increased instead of di
minishing in numbers the past few
years.
It has been observed , however , that
Few. if any colts are to be seen among
the bands during the autumn and win :
ter , and one naturally wonders what ;
"
_ . _ _ _ v ,
becomes ot the natural and regular Increase - * - ; ? -
crease of the horses. The answer is- VB
simple. In the spring and early summer - |
mer cowboys and professional horse- , | a
hunters go out well mouutea for the j
express purpose of catching the young s $
colts. A band of wild horses is loca- J
ted. They are watched perhaps for '
days. When a favorable opportunity
is offered the men sweep down on'
them. Unable to keep pace with thoj
grown horses , easily winded , and not -3c ,
thoroughly alive to danger , the colts j
lag behind ; a lariat suddenly hisses / | ]
through the air with unerring aim. 1
and the colt is a captive. Taken to 1
some ranch the colt is led milk for * jf \
some time. It soon adapts itself to ! % / - *
the change in its food and readily becomes - * j
comes a pet , more affectionate and dp-
pendent than those of its kind born in
captivity. Hence the professional
horse-hunters are rather pleased when
recruits are made to the wild horses
through the escape of domestic ones ;
and the stallions , which alone prevent
the capture of the wandering horses ,
become special objects of kind solicitation - "
tation on the part of the hunters.
The loss of mares sustained by va
rious horse-breeders has at last be
come so large that some measures
must be adopted to reclaim them , and
also to prevent further loss if possi
ble , irom the horse-ranch of the
Hon. M. E. Post , situated about fifteen
miles northward of the city , nearly
two 1'undred mares have wondered
away , and of that number it is thought
fully 100 are now with the wild horses. .
Other horse-raisers have suffered pro
portional losses , and so it has come
about that an organized effort will be
made this winter to exterminate the
stallions , for once rid of them the enr-
tire bands may be rounded up and se
cured. To that end-a party of hunW
ers will soon leave for Northwestern
Wyoming. They will go armed with ,
long-range rifles and wifi carry a largo
supply of forage , so that their horses
may be well fed during the winter. )
The rest is easy. Mounted upon their
grain-fed animals , the hunters will' '
pursue the wild bands when they are
somewhat weakened by the rigors of
winter.
Riding as close as possible the hunt
ers will then shoot down the stallions
from time to time. By this means it
is hoped that by spring nearly all of < ,
the stallions will be killed and the capture -
turo of the mares thus be made possi
ble. In addition to the killing of the
stallions the men will , to use a fa
miliar term , "wolf it , " as opportuni
ty may afford. Coyote pelts are worth
nearly $1 in the market , while a terri
torial bounty of § 1.50 on each and1
every pelt makes the value of each
about $2.50. By poisoning coyotes the
men will be able to make the expedi
tion , if not directly profitable , at least
unattended with great expense. Cat
tlemen especially suffer loss by the -4
depredations of the coyotes , and arty
efforts to rid the plains of those foes of
the young calves will meet with cor
dial wishes for success.
The hunting party will be paid ,
monthly wages , and will begone all' '
winter. A report of their success and
adventures will be of interest in the
spring. Laramic Boomerang.
The Farmer Independent.
The whole country is complaining
of an over-stock , not only of grain
but of manufactured articles. A finan
cial speaker recently stated that there
is a three year's supply of iron and several - ?
eral other products. This is bosh ;
there is not a half year's supply of any
manufactured articles. But there is
an excess of many things , because the
production is costantly going on , near
ly up to the customary rates , though
not quite.
The thought , however , we would
impress here is the comparative inde
pendence of farmers as a class. Take
an illustration. In the manufacturing
towns , if through a surplus , and low
prices and few buyers , the machinery
is suspended , both employers and em- .
ployes must suffer , if not starve. But
Kansas , for example , owing to the
general surplus , corn is hard to part
with at 15 cents a bushel. Well , sup
pose nobody will take the corn. Some
of it can be eaten ; some of it will pro
duce fat pork to "grease it down ; " and
some of it will maKe very good fuel to
cook the corn bread and the pork ,
and to keep off the frost. The fami
lies that ha\e corn on hand can draw
themselves within their own shells , so
to speak , keep fed , keep warm , wear
out the old clothes , and wait for bet
ter times. A few , deeply in debt to . .
hard creditors , will possibly loose " >
their homes , but not many. In such
times creditors are not likely to seize
upon property they can not dispose
of , whether grain or land ; and , as a
rule , they are wise enough to give the
debtors a chance to pay in full in fu
ture rather than to exterminate the
golden egg laying biped , feathered or
unfeathered.
Aside from those pressed with enor
mous debts , farmers are in these times
the most independent class in the
realm. All over the country they can
hold to their wheat and corn , or be
turning the latter into hog products
that will keep. The purchase of hoped
for articles of dress of
new , ornament , - y
of luxury , of comfort , can be put off
this year , and another if need be.
Coarse woolen goods to keep out the.
sold arc relatively nearly as che ap as
jrain. A small stock of these for the
present winter , and some coal when it
cheaper than corn for fuel , will carry
ihe family through the winter , and
ihesoil will yield food , at least , for
aext year.
Now is-a good time for farmers to
reel , to assert and to show their inde
pendence ; to live within their means ,
within themselves , this course pursued
iwhile , and there will be suppliants
their doors offering gold for their
loarded food. Prairie Farmer
If you haven't eot more than a paper eoHar
md a tooth pick , and she hasn't got more than
ne change of socks and a pair of balr pins ,
KJti had better postpone the marriage cere-
nony till her mother Is able to get down
itairs , and build the morning fire.YrfzeT *
Weekly.
The safest bet on the election was that of a
roung man and young woman out west. If
iilaioe won , then the young man was to many
he young irirl ; if Cleve'and , then the young
irl waa to marry the young man.